Rams Cut Harrison Mevis and Sign Blake Grupe After Missed Kicks

Los Angeles Rams kicker Harrison Mevis was released following a loss in the overtime against the Buffalo Bills in which he had a potential game-winning kick blocked and missed a 50-Yard-Field-Goal-Versuch.

The Overtime Miss and the Blocked Kick That Led to the Cut

Mevis missed a 50-yard field goal attempt during regulation before Bills defenders reached his late kick that could have secured a victory for Los Angeles in overtime. Rams head coach Sean McVay addressed the media immediately following the game, directing sharp criticism at the performance of his kicking unit. “In the kicking game, PAT and field goal, it was nowhere near good enough, and it cost us the game tonight,” McVay said to reporters.

Those struggles fit into a broader pattern for the franchise. Los Angeles has surrendered three blocked field-goal attempts since the start of last season. Since Sean McVay took over as head coach in 2017, the team has totaled 81 missed or blocked kicks.

Struggles in the Kicking Game and the Search for Solutions

Mevis originally signed with the Rams’ practice squad in November of last year, stepping into his NFL debut soon after. He went through a productive stretch in that initial run, converting 12 of 13 regular-season kicks alongside a spotless 6-for-6 performance in the playoffs. The current season proved more difficult. Mevis hit just five of nine field-goal attempts across five games while recording one block.

The recurring failures on special teams prompted a shift in leadership earlier this year. Special-teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone took over the unit in January after the Rams dismissed Chase Blackburn following a difficult loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 of the previous season. DAZN NFL writer Ana Gonzalez noted that special teams have directly contributed to five losses for Los Angeles since last season, signaling deeper structural concerns that extend beyond a single player.

Blake Grupe Arrives From the Jets Practice Squad

To fill the vacancy left by Mevis, the Rams signed Blake Grupe off the New York Jets practice squad. Grupe entered the league in 2023 as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints, serving as their primary kicker for two seasons before his release in November 2025. Spasms of roster movement followed.

The Indianapolis Colts signed Grupe days after his release from New Orleans. He then inked a one-year, $1.4 million contract with Indianapolis in March of this year, only to be let go at the end of August. The Jets claimed him off waivers on August 31, released him on September 29, and signed him to their practice squad two days later. During his stint with the Colts last season, Grupe appeared in five games and converted all 11 of his kicks. Across a four-year career, he has had only one kick blocked.